What LNC Should Have Said To Ron Paul

In the wake of Libertarian nominee Bob Barr declining to attend Ron Paul’s press conference last week for “principled” third-party candidates, the Libertarian National Committee reportedly will neither apologize to Ron Paul nor formally urge Paul’s support of its ticket. If LNC wanted to say something formally to Ron Paul, it should have said something like this:

The Libertarian National Committee regrets that last week you and Bob Barr missed a chance to stand together for liberty. Many in the freedom movement are disappointed that youurgedAmericansto “send a message” by voting for “principled candidates” like Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney and Chuck Baldwin — or by being a “principled non-voter”. Examining the principles of these candidates makes us even more committed toour Libertarian nominees for President and Vice President, Bob Barr and Wayne Root. Unlike their opponents, our nominees boldly proclaim the fundamentalprinciples of your Campaign For Liberty — especially “that freedom is an indivisible whole, and that it includes not only economic liberty but civil liberties and privacy rights as well”.

In American politics there are many who campaign against the Establishment, and seek to infringe on our individual rights in a somewhat different way than does the current two-party duopoly. There are very few in American politics who actually campaign forliberty. In the presidential election this fall, there will be only one choice available to voters who want to be counted both as supporting the Constitution and as opposing the nanny state’s efforts to protect us from our own personal and economic choices. We urge you to campaign for liberty by supporting the one presidential ticket that is most faithful to the enduring libertarian principles of your 1988 and 2008 races for the presidency.

Bob Barr needs to reach out to the RP community directly.
Since June, the Barr campaign has had a list of the top Penna. RP leadership, a list Russ Verney said was “priceless.” To my knowledge, no one on the list has ever been contacted. The Chair of the LPPenna. was asked to provide the Penna. Campaign for Liberty with a list of speakers who could present Barr’s message to RP meetup groups. To my knowledge, the LPP chair never replied. So, perhaps, Bob Barr doesn’t give a crap about reaching out to RP supporters. (Or his campaign is incredibly inept.)

Brian you was doing pretty good up until the second sentence….Many in the freedom movement are disappointed that you urged Americans to “send a message” by voting for “principled candidates” like Ralph Nader, Cynthia McKinney and Chuck Baldwin – or by being a “principled non-voter”……

I am of the belief that one of the smartest strategies that Libertarians should be advancing is the breaking of the two-party system in whatever way we can. This was a major chance to do so. Eventhough we disagree with these other parties on ideology there is still a synergy that can be captured here and used to our advantage. Every vote for any third party candidate is one vote taken away from the dems and the repugs. Through the growing of all third parties we can eventually topple the two-party system and then we have an open stage for the battle of ideas. IMO, and I am no hardcore Ron pauler, Ron is ahead of the curve here and Verney is back down the road still stuck in second gear.